Unit 3: Light

Unit 3: Light

Activity 1: Look through assorted photographic websites and find some examples of subjects lit by hard light and examples of subjects lit by soft light. Describe the effect the light has on the subjects' texture, form and detail, and the overall mood of the picture.

By: Jim Harmer
Hard Light Example

Dreamstime.com
Hard Light Example

 Hard Light photography gives out a more striking image to its subject. It also brings out more of the textures and details of the image. For example, the second image really brings out his wrinkles on his fingers and his facial expression.

littlesproutphotography.com
Soft Light

littlesproutphotography.com
Soft Light

Soft light photography brings out a more airy atmosphere to its images. It also gives off a a relax feeling to it.

Activity 2:Find an example of a photograph where the subject has been lit by a single light source and an example where more than one light has been used.Describe in each the quality and position of the brightest or main light and the effect this has on the subject. In the second example describe the quality and effect the additional light has.

Beckermanphoto.com
one light source

The main light source in this image is the moon. The lighting helps capture the mood and the shading of its subjects. Having the lighting so high up helps in capturing the entire subject.

David Shillling
Multiple Light

The lighting on the subject gives off a softer feel and helps bring out the woman's face, vail, dress, and flowers.

Activity 3: Find two images that have been shot into the light or included the light source. Explain how the photographer may have gone about taking a light meter reading for these photographs.

Jim Zuckerman The photograph is shot in direct light and has an animal in motion; the photographer most likely used the light meter to capture the right aperture to get the right exposure. Henry Jones A Light meter was most likely used to find the right exposure and aperture to capture the trees and grass correctly. Activity 4: Find two examples of photographs, which makes use of maximum depth of field, and two examples, which have very shallow depth of field. By: Miek37 By: Mike Small                 Great Depth of Field- When everything in the image is in focus. The photographer has to have used a smaller aperture to get everything in the image in focus.

By: Rhino Neal

By:Xenidlo

Shallow Depth: when only one part of the image is in focus and the other is not. The photographer used a greater aperture to get the blurriness in the image.

Photo 3-6 Activity 1-3

Activity 1:Look through assorted photographic books and observe how many photographers have moved in very close to their subjects. By employing this technique the photographer is said to ‘fill the frame’ and make their photographs more dramatic. Find two examples of how photographers seek simple backgrounds to remove unwanted detail and to help keep the emphasis or ‘focal point’ on the subject.

The plain background on both of these pictures helps focus more on the subject. The background for the strawberries helps them come out more in the picture.

by Tajette O. Halloran

 

By: Randy Mckown

Activity 2:
Q. What does John Szarkowski mean when he says that photographers are quoting ‘out of context’ when they make photographic pictures? 
-it means that a photographer is capturing only a fragment of a scene and making it its own subject in a photo.

Q. The frame often ‘dissects familiar forms’. At the end of the last century photography was having a major impact on Art. Impressionist artists such as Degas were influenced by what they saw.
Find an example of his work, which clearly shows this influence and explain why the public might have been shocked to see such paintings. 
-Degas was influenced by the human body and capturing them in unusual position. The public might have been shocked by his realism.

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Activity 3
Find two examples of Photographs that follow the Rule of Thirds and two examples that do not. Comment briefly on why and how you think the composition works.

John Watson- The composition works because it hits one of the power points.

By: Big Grey Mare- This picture also hits one of the four points.

By: Brian Reynolds- This is breaking rule of thirds because the subject is placed in the middle of the picture.

By: Sara Londe- This image is also breaking the rule of thirds because the red leaf is in the middle of the picture.

Activity 4: Collect one image where the photographer has placed the main subject off center and retained a sense of balance and one image where the photographer has placed the main subject off center and created a sense of imbalance.
Discuss the possible intentions of the photographer in creating each image.
Create four images, placing the focal point and/or visual weight in different areas of the frame. Discuss weather each image is balanced.

By: trendhunter.com- Both the subjects in this image are representing imbalance because one subject is in a higher position then the other subject. The photographer possibly intended to do this with the ladder to show how imbalanced it was.

FrankyVL7- Even though the pile of rocks are not in the middle of the image or have another stack of rocks on the other side of it it is still representing balance because they are stacked one rock on top of the other. The photographer possibly intended to place these stones on the side to represent how a subject can still be in balance even though its not exactly in the middle.

By: Jessica Castelan-
Even though the spindles of thread are not exactly even on top of each other the image above is still balanced.

By: Jessica Castelan
The pigs are placed in different positions and are different sizes but they still are balanced.

By: Jessica Castelan-
the lit candle is still balanced even though one fire is in a higher position  than the other.

By: Jessica Castelan-
the glass pebbles are balanced because if you cut the image down the middle each side is symmetrical.

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